1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developer cartridge, and more particularly to a developer cartridge including a sealing gasket that, in conjunction with one or more covers, can prevent an undesired leakage of a developer contained therein.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
It is a known that in an electro-photographic (EP) machine (e.g., a photocopier, a facsimile machine, or a printer), a developer (e.g., a one component or a two component toner composed of fine particles) forms a developer image on a recording media (e.g., a sheet of paper or a transparent sheet) during an image forming process of the EP machine. The EP machine includes a main unit having a developer hopper that stores the developer consumed during the image forming process. A known or conventional developer cartridge, which contains the developer, is mounted to the developer hopper, and delivers the developer from the developer cartridge to the developer hopper. After delivery of the developer, the developer cartridge is dismounted from the developer hopper. Thus, the developer that forms the developer image on the recording media and therefore is consumed during the image forming process is replenished, and the EP machine performs a subsequent image forming process.
The known or conventional developer cartridge includes, among other components, a developer containment portion that contains the developer, an engagement flange that is integrally formed with the developer containment portion and that engages a corresponding portion of the developer hopper during the mounting and delivery, and a removable film that is adhered to a portion of the developer containment portion and/or to a portion of the engagement flange and that prevents delivery of the developer from the developer containment portion until the removable film is removed therefrom. The removable film, which is generally a polyethylene film, is adhered by thermal or ultrasonic welding and/or by the use of an adhesive. Prior to any attempt to mount the developer cartridge to the developer hopper, the adhered removable film forms a seal that prevents an undesired leakage of the developer.
The known developer cartridge also includes a pull tab that is operatively connected to the removable film as well as one or more covers of the developer cartridge. Actuation of the pull tab, after the mounting of the developer cartridge to the developer hopper, unadheres and moves the removable film and the one or more covers from a closed position that prevents delivery of the developer to an open position that permits delivery of the developer. Thus, the previously adhered removable film is unsealed from the developer cartridge.
Although a relatively large majority of the volume of the developer is successfully delivered from the developer cartridge to the developer hopper, a relatively small volume of the developer invariably is not delivered to the developer hopper and therefore remains in the developer cartridge. Before dismounting the developer cartridge from the developer hopper, the removable film and the one or more covers are moved from the open position to the closed position in an attempt to prevent the undesired leakage. However, because the removable film has been unsealed from the developer cartridge, and is not re-adhered thereto, the removable film does not prevent the undesired leakage when the developer cartridge is dismounted from the developer hopper. Thus, it is desirable to provide a developer cartridge that can prevent the undesired leakage of the developer when the developer cartridge is dismounted from the developer hopper of the EP machine.